My Dad’s birthday was on Monday. He’s the best dad for me there could be.

Mailing our wedding invitations on Sunday. Lots of love in the mail.

Peter and I headed to Santa Fe this week for a ‘working vacation’, to soak up some Vitamin D and a change of scenery. Here’s my desk for the week.

We’ve both been reading this book over the course of the week. I’ve only made it two chapters in and have been chewing on the message all week. Excited to continue to read and dig in. I also read a quick e-book, The Ask, as part of Seth Godin’s Marketing Course I worked on this week.

Happy bubbles.

A nice evening walk with my number one.

We walked a four-mile loop around Santa Fe hills. Beautiful.

You are _____.

Cooking dinner and learning about 30,000 years of art. (Photo: Peter)

Getting the daily workout in at the park nearby. (Photo: Peter)

Our friend Nico came to join us on Friday. He used to live in Santa Fe and knows all the spots – including this bar overlooking the plaza, which he describes as “the best place to kill an afternoon.”

The landscape was beautiful. We headed outside of Santa Fe to hike Tent Rocks.

This looks like a Santa Fe version of Mt. Rushmore to me. (Photo: Peter).

Goofing around in the canyons. (Photo: Peter)

Tent-like rocks. (Photo: Peter)

Getting psyched up for a margarita. (Photo: Peter)

Stopped by at the Georgia O’Keefe museum on our way out of town today. I loved learning about her. She lived from 1886 to 1986… what a time to be alive!

“I do not like the idea of happiness — it’s too momentary. I would say that I was always busy and interested in something. Interest has more meaning to me than the idea of happiness.” – Georgia O’Keefe

I also learned that Georgia O’Keefe had several Chow dogs. Funny imagining the Chows in the desert.

I love to read and sometimes lose track of my favorite reads in a given year. Here’s a list, to the best of my recollection, of what I read in 2017. I’m sure I’m missing a couple that were less memorable. I’ll be tracking what I read in 2018 as I go along in a separate post.

The Art of Fielding by Chad HarbachBest book I read in 2017. Read the entire thing on one flight and was worried the flight would end before I could finish. The characters in this book are beautifully developed and the storyline somehow both leisurely paced and compelling. I was surprised how much I loved this book about baseball considering how little I enjoy baseball.

Homegoing by Yaa GwasiLoved this one too. Also beautifully written and takes place across generations, tracking from the beginning of the African slave trade to modern day. Highly recommend.

Swing Time by Zadie SmithI enjoyed this book but read it right after Homegoing, which I really loved, so it’s not as memorable for me.

A Feast for Crows (Game of Thrones: Book 4) & A Dance with Dragons (Game of Thrones: Book 5) by George R. R. MartinJumped back into the Game of Throne book series. I’ve never seen the show so the plot hasn’t been ruined – was on the edge of my seat for the last couple chapters of the fifth book. Come on George R. R. Martin… we need that sixth book!

Little Women by Louisa May AlcottA nostalgic re-read that brought me back to childhood. Crazy how outdated the perspective on women’s rights and marriage is, despite being a forward-thinking book for its time.

Harry Potter (Books 1, 4, 5, 6, 7) by J.K. RowlingA near-complete re-read of the best series ever. I usually do this once a year or so when I want that comforting entertainment.

Bird by Bird by Anne LamottI was reading this book right before Peter proposed to me in September! It’ll always have extra good vibes for that reason, in addition to the fact that it’s a stunning book on writing.

Power by Jeffrey PfefferRecommended by a friend, this book is all about power (as you could have guessed). An interesting read that I’ll probably re-read to refresh my memory.

Braving the Wilderness by Brene BrownLove me some Brene Brown – not a lot of new material in this book, but a thought-provoking read nonetheless.

Disrupted by Dan LyonsThis book was so over the top, I stopped enjoying it. Parts were funny, but by the end I was pretty sick of this guy and his observations of start-up life.

The Nix by Nathan HillA well-written fiction book with lots of unexpected plot twists and great social commentary. Peter purchased this one and gave it to me, so I knew nothing about it when I started reading. I would recommend to anyone who wants to read a fiction book but is sick of the repetitive plotlines of mainstream fiction.

The Dip by Seth GodinSeth being Seth. Thought-provoking, pithy, smart.